Watch Her Fall
by Kailey Hamilton
Summary: "Oliver had told Katie numerous times that scoring a goal was worth every Bludger. But this was the British league, and Katie should know better than to take his past self's advice." Post-Hogwarts Katie/Oliver. Oneshot.


_For the Hunger Games Fanfic Style III competition in the HPFC forums. Training round - no prompts used._

* * *

 **Watch Her Fall**

Oliver had told Katie numerous times that scoring a goal was worth every Bludger. It was a figure of speech, honestly. He had never quite meant it - except _maybe_ in his last year at Hogwarts. But this was not his last year at Hogwarts. This was the British league. Katie had followed him right into Puddlemere United's ranks, and she should know better than to take advice from his past self.

A Bludger tore through her broomstick and hit her rib cage right as she scored, and there was an instant of euphoria before she became a mess of splinters, blue robes, and long hair coming loose. She was thrown up in the air before she started falling. And Oliver froze. Blood rushed to his head, eyes shot open. He could only watch. And in his mind, there was just one thought.

 _I never told her..._

Maybe it had begun when he'd chosen Katie for the Gryffindor team, instead of an older student. Some would say it was a difficult decision, a fork in the road. But Oliver never felt he'd had a choice. He'd been walking in the opposite direction, on a dwindling path about to meet another. In the intersection, he'd found her. There was no moment of realization, no memory he kept replaying over and over to signal the event in which she stopped being _just_ Katie, and became _Katie_.

Maybe this was it. That moment, that memory. He'd carry it for eternity as punishment for his recklessness. She'd been in mortal danger before, bedridden for months as a curse rampaged through her veins. But all their life together, he'd been the one to push Katie to play dangerously and now if she wasn't stopped, she could-

The damage prevention team halted Katie's fall two meters from the ground. The whistle blew, the referee motioning for all players to come to the ground. He got there fast enough to see her lying down, to hear her complain that she was dizzy and it hurt to breath. He wanted to advance, to get closer, but he couldn't, something was holding him back, stopping him from-

"Wood." The voice of the team captain echoed in the distance. "Wood?"

When the voice felt closer, he whirled his head around. His captain was right beside him, grabbing his arm with the sort of strength you'd expect from any beater. Her grip held him firmly in place, not allowed her to chase after Katie while she was being taken away.

"Bell will pull through," she assured him. "Should I replace you out?"

Were his feelings so plainly written on his face? Was it so evident that he wanted to rush after her and say everything he never knew he should? But Katie… she would kill him if he dared to abandon the field, wouldn't she?

"Of course not," he answered, his resolve like cold steel against the anxiety of the moment. "I will play."

* * *

Katie stirred at the break of dawn, when light started filtering through the faded blinds. A dull ache on her right side made the events of the previous day drip down into her consciousness. Right. She was at St Mungo's - _again_. She'd taken a hit from a Bludger. Then she'd fallen. The sudden halt of the cushioning charm had made her head shoot back so violently, she feared she would never be able to move it again. But that was silly. Magical cures took care of these injuries in little time.

"How are you feeling?" A familiar voice asked.

She opened her eyes slowly, her gaze falling right on Oliver's. His eyes looked weary, dark circles around them, but they were also full of concern.

"Better." She smiled, allowing herself to dwell in that gaze longer than strictly necessary.

"The healers said you should be out of here today."

"Good. I wasn't fancying another prolonged stay."

He only answered with a wry smile of his own. Of course, he also remembered. Last time she was in St. Mungo's, she'd been there for months, and he'd come visit as frequently as his schedule would allow. It wasn't that it came as a surprise to Katie that Oliver had a caring side, but back then, he'd thought him too caught up in his passion for Quidditch to properly show it. These days, Katie couldn't think of Oliver without her chest warming up and her face lighting up. She owed him so much, and yet, he'd never made her feel indebted. He acted as if she'd already given it all back with interest.

And yet, there he was, still wearing the team's robes and looking at her as if she held his entire world between her fingers. It had been a long road, and it was not only Katie who knew they were always better together.

But right now, it was too much.

"So, how did the game go?"

"We won." His drained expression showed some signs of light, but they were too fickle. "Two hundred and seventy to one hundred and forty. I was worried the Arrows would get more Quaffles past me, but Miles caught the snitch fifteen minutes after…"

He stopped. Katie could almost see the words that had caught up in his throat.

"After I fell," she completed softly. Now that Oliver confirmed he had kept going, she felt a surge of pride ripple through her chest. But then she frowned. "Didn't you go out last night, then?"

He shook his head, avoiding her gaze.

"Sometimes, winning matters little."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that." Her joke didn't get the effect she wanted. On the contrary, Oliver seemed even more sullen. "Thank you for staying with me tonight," she added. "You didn't have to."

"Of course I had to. Seeing you fall…"

"Oliver…"

"I should have rushed to you. I should have asked to be replaced and-"

He startled when she placed her hand on top of his. His feelings were plainly written on his face, and Katie had heard more than enough.

"You would have never made it," she said. "I knew what I signed up for when I chose to pursue this path. And so did you. You made all the right decisions, Oliver."

This did enough to keep him from protesting. He was quiet for a few seconds, after which he squeezed her hand and his eyes found hers.

"Stay safe, Katie. You're too important."

She grinned.

"Got it, my Captain."


End file.
